RB Leipzig are ahead of Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the race to buy Schalke midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, according to journalist Christian Falk.

Writing in his Fact Files column for the Daily Briefing Substack, Falk said that Leipzig have already begun negotiations with the player’s father and they are now “favourites” to secure his signature.

Ouedraogo, who has been described as a “German Pogba” by some in the media, has grabbed the attention of scouts with his performances for Schalke in the Bundesliga 2 since the start of the season.

The 17-year-old scored on his debut in a 5-3 defeat to Hamburg on the opening day, although he hasn’t hit the back of the net in 10 subsequent appearances at senior level.

Liverpool would have to pay 8 figures to sign the German

Although Falk himself doesn’t mention a price tag, it has been suggested that Schalke would be prepared to sell Ouedraogo if they receive a fee in the region of £15m.

For a player who has only played 11 times for the first team, that may seem like a pretty substantial fee, but it’s clear that he has a very high ceiling and, if does go to Leipzig and excel, he could be worth a lot more than his current asking price in the future.

Other Premier League clubs have been tracking Ouedraogo

Back in October, it was reported that Chelsea and Manchester United were also pursuing the teenager’s services, but Falk’s information does indicate that the player wants to remain in Germany.

Ouedraogo would ideally like to continue his development at Schalke, having only just broken into the first team, but it seems like his club may look to cash in on one of their academy graduates.

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